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Scriptcake

Lovinder Gill

Scriptcake is dedicated to the art and craft of screenwriting. With over 20 years of experience teaching screenwriting, I've seen novice screenwriters struggle with the same issues over and over again. I’ve created this podcast for those of you who struggle with these very same script issues. This podcast will help you overcome the most common mistakes screenwriters make and will help you develop your idea into a multi-dimensional story. If you want help formatting your screenplay, google it. I want to focus on issues that aren’t quite as google-able.

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25 episodes
weekly
Avg 20 min
English

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Episodes 25

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S6 · E142
Yesterday · 8 min
142. Transactional Screenwriting vs. Transformative Screenwriting
This week we take our lesson from one of the greatest football coaches of all time - Nick Saban. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E141
November 6 · 4 min
141. Protagonist's Problems #6 Backstory
Often times when designing a screenplay, screenwriters will focus on one element of a backstory but not the other, more important, one. Most of you are writing an incomplete backstory. Listen to find out what that is. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E140
October 30 · 1 hr 2 min
140. Chad Handley - Screenwriter | Head Writer Bass X Machina
A great conversation with Chad Handley, the head writer for the Netflix steampunk anime show, Bass X Machina. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E139
October 23 · 10 min
139. Protagonist's Problem #5 Nothing to Lose
In this episode, we continue our series on Protagonist's Problems. This is a big one! Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E139
September 26 · 1 hr 5 min
138. Lukas Hassel - Actor | Screenwriter | Mentor
Lukas Hassel is an award-winning actor, screenwriter and filmmaker whose credits include The Blacklist, Blue Bloods and The Night Agent. He wrote and stars in the psychological horror-thriller House of Abraham alongside Natasha Henstridge and Lin Shaye. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
September 18 · 10 min
137. Protagonist's Problems #4: The Stranger
How well do you really know your protagonist? The odds are, not well enough. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E136
September 11 · 4 min
136. Protagonist Problem #3: The Wrong Want
Your protagonist wants something. You've made that perfectly clear. But what if they want the wrong thing? In this episode, we look at the difference between having a goal and having a goal powerful enough to drive an entire screenplay. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E135
September 4 · 6 min
135. Protagonist Problem #2: Too Nice
You want the audience to like your protagonist. Of course you do. But sometimes trying too hard to make a character likable does exactly the opposite. In this episode, we look at why being "nice" might be one of the things keeping your protagonist from coming alive. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E134
August 28 · 7 min
134. Protagonist Problem #1: The Passenger
Welcome to our new series on issues with Protagonists in your screenplay. In this series, we will look at a number of issues with protagonists and help you try to solve them. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode in this series. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E133
May 23 · 4 min
133. The Denial
It happens to us on a regular basis. We deny something that is inevitable. We deny our hopes and dreams. We deny so many things that we know we shouldn't. Once you figure out why, then you've figured out a massive plot point for a screenplay. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E132
May 8 · 7 min
132. Writing About Your Life
It is imperative that you do and don't write about your life. Is that confusing? If so, listen to this weeks podcast and get a little clarity. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E131
May 1 · 10 min
131. Excessive Exposition
Don't do it. Overexplaining is an epidemic in screenwriting. Find out why and how to avoid it in this episode. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E130
March 20 · 9 min
130. The Focus Point
Sometimes we get lost during the screenwriting process. It's hard to stay clear on what we're writing about. External factors influence us. We research things that impact our original ideas. How do we keep it all clear? Well, we go back to the beginning, to our Focus Point. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E129
March 13 · 1 hr 3 min
129. Alvaro Rodriguez - Screenwriter | Producer | Composer
Alvaro Rodriguez is a writer, producer, and composer. He began his career by working as a composer on El Mariachi in 1992. He has since expanded into film and television writing and producing. He has written on From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Machete, Seis Manos, American Rust, Chicago Fire and Florida Man. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E128
March 9 · 7 min
128. The Story Behind The Story
Have you completed a feature film and people love the idea of it but when they read it, it doesn't resonate with them? That's probably because there's no story behind your story. Listen to find out what the issue is. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E127
February 13 · 51 min
127. Paul Chitlik - Screenwriter | Producer | Director | Author
Paul Chitlik is an award-winning screenwriter, producer, director, and internationally respected educator who has written for major studios and networks in both English and Spanish. He served as story editor for MGM/UA’s The New Twilight Zone and staff writer for Showtime’s Brothers, and has developed features for numerous production companies. He earned a Writers Guild of America nomination for The Twilight Zone, a GLAAD Media Award nomination for Los Beltrán, and a Genesis Award for a Showtime Family film. He wrote, produced, and directed the feature The Wedding Dress. A longtime UCLA instructor and clinical professor at Loyola Marymount University, Chitlik has taught screenwriting worldwide and is the author of the influential craft book Rewrite. In this podcast, we discuss Paul's latest book - The Screenwriting Sensei. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E126
February 9 · 9 min
126. The Personal Story Problem
Are you having a hard time adapting a real life experience to a screenplay. It's probably because of the personal story problem. Listen and see if fixing this can help you write a better screenplay. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S6 · E125
January 23 · 7 min
125. Screenwriting Resolutions
As a new year is upon us, it's time to think about what we want to accomplish this year as screenwriters. What are your screenwriting resolutions? Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S5 · E124
Dec 5, 2025 · 9 min
124. What is a Rewrite
A lot of screenwriters get confused when rewriting their screenplays. What constitutes an actual rewrite? Listen and find out. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.
S5 · E123
Nov 28, 2025 · 8 min
123. The Where
It's probably the most overlooked element in a scene. Understand the power of choosing the right location for your scene to take place. Support the show For more information on Lovinder Gill's best-selling book "Scriptcake Secrets" or his public speaking schedule, please check out www.lovinder.com.

Showing 1–20 of 25 episodes